The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-02-24
Native Indian Words.

Why we accept and use words with
out really knowing their meaning is n
question no one can readily answer,
but that 1t is done daily is easily proven.
No doubt many will feel surprised when
they find many OF the words we call
slang are from our native Indian Ian
guages, and have such direct and per-
tinent meanings that we would never
use them again as we do. to or about
people, after they have been explained
to us.
This was called more forcibly 10
mind than ever, through visit made
Hon. Elijah M. Haines, of Waukegan,
ILL.,, who is one of the few intelligent
and learned men that have been devot-
ing their energies to investigating our
native North American Indian Ian
guages. or. as they are called by the
unintatcd, 'jargons." There is no
doubt but many have used the word
skeezucks. Now, note its meaning.
This word is from the Pequot dialect,
one of the New England tribes, and,
according to liberal translation, means
domestic spa person who is look
ing or spying around through idle Gu
riosity. or sort of Paul Pry, and
really the plain form of the word mean
ing the eyes.
Hi-us-ty- or Giustycutus, is
from the Chinook language or jargon
of tribe inhabiting Oregon and Wash
ington Territory, and means 'big chief"
or big chief of the ranch" or big
man of the household, and, bringing
it down to the vernacular of the present
day. big Indian"
We have here in Chicago celebrated
political club called the Calumet. The
invitations, letter-heads and all printed
matter pertaining to the institution
have on them an Indians head with
the pipe of peace close by. Now, the
general acceptance and belief is that
this is an Indian word, and meant TO
signify the pipe of peace, as smoked by
the Indian tribes of North Americans II
token OF sign of peace and friendliness
to the visitors and strangers, and in
their councils.
This is not an Indian word, neither
does it by itself signify pipe of peace.
The word calumet is Norman French,
and signifies a reed. which the Nor
mans used as a tube to their pipes,
and as they had no other name for |
pipe except this word calumet, which
related only to the tube of the pipe, |
they called the whole thing calumet
The Ojibways, of the Indian tribe |
which is the general stock |
language of the Algonquin group,
used the word 'opoygun" as the name
of the pipe, in which they placed to-
bacco for smoking. They had no
other name for the pipe, and made no
in auy class of pipe for use
in smoking, by name. The smoking
Of the pipe did not, rs is asserted and
by many, refer to peace. The
act of smoking might be in token of
peace or in confirmation of declara-
lion of war.
Pipes for such occasions, whether
they related to war or peace, were
as matter of taste or to
designate them as pipes for state occa-
sons.
You will bear in mind that, notwith-
standing the introduction of the word
Calumet to the Indians by the Norman
French, they continued the name
"opoygun" for the pipe.
The Norman French. who were.
among the early explorers of this
did not then use the word
calumet by itself alone as designation
Of the pipe of peace. They called it
1.-THE calumet of peace" or as we
would say, 1.-The pipe of peace" so
that it will be readily seen that the
word calumet means simply a tube or
pipe.-Robert A. Floyd, IN Boston
fourier.